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Thursday, July 30, 2009

I'm reposting this recipe, because I rather "red-facedly" have to admit to a bit of an oops in the original recipe. As I mentioned in a recent post, one of the real challenges I've discovered in writing this blog has been actually translating what I cook into an actual recipe that you can recreate. I am more used to "sloshing" and "dashing" rather than measuring ingredients carefully (one of the reasons I am not much of a baker), and very often it doesn't matter - but of course sometimes it does. So after a couple of people mentioned to me recently that they had made these fritters and found the batter to be very thick (just add a bit more milk I told them), I thought I should actually make them myself according to the recipe instructions I had given. Very embarrassed, big lesson learned, why did I not do this in the first place? Follow the instructions I did, and boy was that batter thick - now let me say that this should be quite a stiff batter, but not like that - so what was wrong. I had completely left out the inclusion of milk in the ingredients, and had rather overstated the amount of cornmeal. So please forgive me and read on ... both the recipe below and the printable copy of the recipe have now been amended. I have also added a couple of other notes at the end of the recipe that I think are helpful.

Sunday evening dinner in our house generally tends to fall into one of two categories.

Sometimes it's the day for a roast dinner - usually a free-range chicken with some seasonal vegetables.

More often though, Sunday is the day we go out for a leisurely brunch/lunch, followed by a drive around the Port Hills, and a gelato on the way home. On those occasions, something simple and uncomplicated is called for - maybe just poached eggs on toast (free-range eggs and great bread being absolute essentials for this), or a grilled cheese sandwich (need I say more, again, about the quality of ingredients here).

Also in this quick and easy category is my favourite Sunday stand-by - corn fritters. Actually I think of these as a great fall-back dish any time that I am short of time, energy or inspiration, which can happen pretty much any day of the week! Of course these are best made in the summer when fresh corn is available, but I seem to long for them more in the winter, and I don't hold back from using frozen corn when fresh is out of season. I have on occasion used tinned, but the corn seems to take on a slightly "metallic" taste that I don't particularly like; so, frozen is my preference if fresh is unavailable.

Over the years I've tried numerous recipes for these, tweaking them a bit here and there, and this is what I've ended up with. The starting point was Bill Granger's corn fritters from his book Sydney Food. Then I came across an adaptation of this recipe on The Wednesday Chef blog, and in keeping with that I too like to mix rice flour with the plain flour to lighten the batter up a little. I also replace the liquid with creme fraiche and add some cornmeal for an extra little bit of crunch, an idea borrowed from an Annabelle White recipe. Lastly, my secret confession - I add a tin of creamed corn - yes, really! Now let me just say that creamed corn truly gives me the shudders - I even cringe when I open the tin and smell it. But a good friend put me on to this one and, after trying it out, I had to admit it was surprisingly good. So now it has become an essential ingredient in my corn fritters.

Combine the eggs, creme fraiche, and milk in a separate bowl, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking as you go. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth.

Add the corn kernels, creamed corn, and parsley. Stir to combine.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, using enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, drop spoonfuls of batter into the pan and cook until golden brown underneath (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn over and cook the other side (again about 2 minutes). Remove and keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter, using more oil to cook as necessary.

* Notes: The amount of milk you need here will depend a bit on the size of eggs you use (I like FRENZ brand free range eggs, and I buy their biggest super jumbo sized ones), and also on your corn - if you are using fresh or frozen corn you will need a bit more liquid than if you are using tinned. Buttermilk is particularly nice if you have it, or a tablespoon of lemon juice added with regular milk is a nice option. The amount of salt you need will also depend on the type of corn you are using - since most tinned corn already has salt in it, you might find you need a bit more if using fresh, frozen or tinned that has no added salt. I suggest that you cook just a teaspoon of batter first, then taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary before cooking the rest of your fritters.

I like to serve these with sweet Thai chilli sauce and Maple Roasted Tomatoes (see below). My partner also likes some crispy bacon and a dollop of sour cream with his.

Maple Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

tomatoesmaple syrupsaltpepper

Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side up in a shallow baking dish which is just big enough to hold the tomatoes snuggly. Drizzle maple syrup over the top of the tomatoes and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake in a slow oven for 45 minutes.

About Me

My name is Sue. I am a passionate food lover and enthusiastic cook. I also teach yoga and maintain a daily yoga practice ... a practice which has led to a growing awareness of the need to live and eat more mindfully and consciously. I am by no means a strict vegetarian, but I do consume a "mainly vegetarian" diet and I make an effort to exercise ethically responsible food choices as much as possible. I therefore whenever possible seek out products which are free range, organic, seasonal and locally produced. I try to make most things from scratch, and to keep meals as uncomplicated as possible. Because I often teach classes in the evenings, it's important to me to be able to prepare a delicious meal quickly, from a few simple, good quality ingredients.